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THE TAOISEACH AND two senior ministers have declined to express a view on whether or not they would favour an independent Scotland ahead of the much-anticipated referendum in a week’s time.
The Irish government has remained tight-lipped and insisted that independence from the UK – or not – is a matter for the Scottish people alone although Enda Kenny admitted that today that his government is “not indifferent” to the result next week.
Voters in Scotland will be asked to answer Yes or No to the question ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ next Thursday with opinion polls showing separatists narrowing the gap to those favouring the union in recent days.
“Clearly the decision in the referendum in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish people,” Kenny said today at the Fine Gael think-in in Cork, repeating a well-worn line from the Irish government.
However, he added: “That does not mean that we are indifferent to the result either way. Clearly, whatever the decision of the Scottish people is there are implications.
“Obviously we’ll consider those but it’s a matter for the people in Scotland to decide on their turnout and how they wish to vote. My understanding from the polls over the last period is that the result will be very close. But it’s a matter for the Scottish people. But we are not indifferent to the outcome either way of what their decision will be.”
Standing beside the Taoiseach, Finance Minister Michael Noonan was asked for his views to which he replied briefly: “I am in full agreement with the Taoiseach’s response. I’ve nothing to add to it.”
And earlier, upon his arrival at Fota Island, the Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan was similarly tight-lipped.
“This is utterly and exclusively a matter for the people of Scotland. The campaign is reaching a critical stage,” he said.
“We know what referendums are like, particularly in the last few days. I think it would be entirely inappropriate for the Irish government, indeed any foreign jurisdiction or any foreign minister, to comment [in a way] that might be seen to be prejudicial either way.”
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They are right to not comment on it.
They are waiting for Angela to sign their permission slips first
Just images need if Ireland (1996-2014) asked this question: should Ireland if fixated by independence ideology, have a facility to discuss independence with the original country gaining independence of, and manifest so?
(Apologies. I have experience of Michael woods framing these questions n behalf of the church).
BTW: Alba Abu! We don’t need outside control.
They are career politicians its always money over principles with them, In this case its keeping Cameron happy ! Why is the question … we are Britain’s most valued customer for their exports so Cameron would be extremely foolish and not to mention totally incapable of affecting that trade no matter what these characterless shells of people say or don’t say about Scottish independence.
They don’t have any idea how to run Ireland don’t go and confuse them with talk of scotland
Seems a lot of Heads of State have no problem endorsing the No campaign ( Australia France etc) I’m sure the Yes campaign wouldn’t mind a bit of support………
They shouldn’t be doing that, though.
The best way we can support a Yes vote is by highlighting how our standard of living has been improved by independence relative to; a) the part of Ireland that hasnt got independence and b) the peripheral areas of the UK (nearly everywhere but the South-East)
We were worse off than all those places up til 1921 and are better off now
In a way it’s unfortunate for the Yes Scotland campaign that their referendum didn’t come about when our Celtic Tiger was in full swing – they now seem afraid to point out how Ireland has flourished with Independence (we routinely beat the UK on OECD standard of living stats).
In fact, I’ve only heard us mentioned once during the campaign – by Alastair Darling – who basically said, “Ireland went it alone, NOW look how f**ked they are now!”
Which is ironic, given how eager Westminster was to offer us a low-interest bilateral loan during the bailout!
Yeah, if only we hadn’t foolishly left the UK we could be living in Middlesborough-esque splendour.
@Winding_Down: I noticed the same thing about the almost complete lack of mentioning Ireland during the debate. Obviously any mention of us by the yes side would be begging for some kind of “Yeah? And how are things for them now?” (the correct answer of course being “significantly better than the majority of people in Britain”),but that’s only economics. Ireland would have been a great reference point for defence (a big issue), the benefits of neutrality, having one’s own currency (people seem to forget that there wasn’t actually anything wrong with the punt when we abandoned it…which seems to have been a bad idea), and dozens of other issues.
I mean look at the North, it’s one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Europe (http://inequalitybriefing.org/brief/briefing-43-the-poorest-regions-of-the-uk-are-the-poorest-in-northern-) and the South, things aren’t so great but I’d rather live in Cork than anywhere in the North of England or Ireland. The big thing for the Better Together campaign has been that Scotts are better off in the Union, being in the Union doesn’t seem to have done anything for people in Belfast.
@Mark: Couldn’t agree more!
And I’d add culture to that; Ireland has experienced a renaissance in many areas of arts and culture since Independence. This seems to be an important point to many in Yes Scotland, so it’s odd that Ireland isn’t held up as a model. Also, many Scots have been here for Rugby games, they know plenty about the vibrancy of Ireland, compared to “Middlesbrough-esque” dumps (I’ve been there!), and they know what most of the Irish public would say if asked about our experience of Independence.
None of the even even takes into account the prediction that Ireland’s growth rate is expected to be treble the predicted UK growth rate for 2014, Ireland’s bailout burden notwithstanding!
It’s very unfair that the British establishment are applying this kind of pressure so close to voting day, with the media message being very tightly controlled over the last few days – Scots are now being bullied with a lot of corporate nonsense – “Prices *May* Rise” – (not Fall?). There’s very little balance in the British media it seems.
Scotland is the least of the worries of the British establishment at the moment. About a month ago the story broke on British media, of a supposed paedophile ring operating from Westminster parliament, during the 70′s & 80′s.
This scandal apparently involved politicians at the most senior levels of the political elite. Even Margaret Thatcher was supposedly aware of the conduct of some of her cabinet. If this scandal breaks it will shake British society to its very foundations.
Losing Scotland will seem minor in comparison.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/margaret-thatcher-covered-minister-accused-child-sex-abuse-1456472
https://www.wearechangeuk.org/government-will-drip-feed-vip-paedophile-revelations-over-decades-to-avoid-mass-civil-unrest.html
@Zoe: Well that’s an uncomfortable way of killing a lively thread.
Why would they comment, it is Scotland’s right to rid itself of Tory cuts without interference from us.
Yeah they do. They’re shitting themselves at the prospect of a competing tax haven openning up in the region.
I imagine that their hearts are for”yes” and their heads are for “no”
Ends Kenny doesn’t seem to have an opinion on anything! He represents Ireland and yet he won’t take part in any live interviews or debates.
Sadly the yes side are not going to win this campaign. As was predicted and is reported in the British press today, after they were ahead on the poll on Sunday, Cameron had meetings with big businesses and urged them all to come out against independence and say how negative an effect independence would have on the Scottish economy. It seems to be working.
On another note the coverage has been wholly unfair to the yes campaign in all of British media. I know in Ireland you have to give 50/50 to both sides in a campaign but from what I can see it is the SNP against not only the Lib Dems, Tories and Labour in Scotland, but also against their English parties. About 75% of the coverage I have watched in the last few days has been English politicians and big business all on the no side, with the rest split between Scottish campaigners on both sides. Whatever happens Alex Salmond and the SNP have to be commended for the brilliant fight they are putting up to all the main parties in Scotland, their party machines down in Westminster and the whole British establishment and business elite.
Correct, it couldn’t happen that badly here thanks to the Crotty judgement
Yep…that was always going to happen. Cameron would get onto his big business pals in order to secure reassurances from them that Scottish independence would be bad for the economy. If they do lose Scotland, Cameron will be as good as gone.
Big business such as Intel, and Ryanair got involved and spent tons of money trying and succeeding in getting a YES in the Lisbon treaty 2. We are living in a corporate dictatorship controlled by the ERT in Brussels.
If it were a dictatorship there wouldn’t have been a vote and private companies wouldn’t be free to advocate as they see fit
This is the most boringly non committal, uncharismatic government in our entire history, and that’s really saying something.
I’ll take boring over catastrophically stupid any day
The one doesn’t exclude the other!
Me too. Boring is exactly what you want. Not the excitement of Celtic tiger into catastrophic disaster.
They are west Brits so they would probably like Ireland to join the UK if they had their way
If only they would. We wouldn’t be broke. I quite like the idea.
Yeah look at all the fun we missed out on; Suez, the race riots in the 70s, the economic collapse in 76, the NUM strike, poll tax riots, Thatcher, Falklands, Iraq invasion, sky-high university fees…
Look what Thatcher did to people who were supposedly her own. South Wales & the North East still haven’t recovered. Imagine how she would’ve governed Ireland.
By the way, the UK went broke long before us.
Scottish loyalists would lose their minds if that suggestion ever came up!
I’m happy enough with rejoining the UK provided Dublin is the Capitol and Michael D is King.
I must tell all those who emigrated and continue to do so that they have it all wrong. Must tell them that it’s great here and England is broke. Yeah, right
I said the UK went broke long before is, and they did. They needed an IMF bailout years before we did
Unemployment might be high today but it’s falling, and it’s not long ago that we had full employment. Not long before that the UK had 3 million unemployed. Things change, and the best way of changing them for the better is to be in charge of your own affairs
It is not their place to comment on Scotland. It’s called diplomacy. They can’t express a view and they can’t even express that they have a view. They can’t meddle. Why are we even having this discussion?
Of course they won’t say ……… they still cannot agree on Irish Independence . Don’t be confusing them now by asking about another country
Enda kennys not sure what’s happening between his own 2 ears…..
Thing is, yes independence is attractive, but the ordinary voter needs to worry about the elites of Scotland taking over from the British elite. As in Ireland, the public is easily distracted from the fact that the political classes and the monopolistic professions commandeer the countries resources. We get the crumbs from the table in good times and bank debts in the bad times. The Scottish might have a chance to manage their brand new political system to avoid this outcome in a way that we did not – I hope they get an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.
Our Government has no view on anything other than their obscene remuneration and pensions, Oh, and “what do the Germans think of this “. Don’t annoy me.
Why should they care about Scotland’s independence?
Scottish independence could mean a lot for our government. If for example they changed their corporate tax rate to attract some of the multinationals here it would become a bit of a headache for End a and us.
If the Irish Government were to speak out in favour of Scottish Independence, it would greatly harm Ireland’s very important relationship with the UK, with the British Government and with all there major British political parties. It could also influence some undecided Scottish voters – who may have some anti-irish prejudices – into voting Yes.
If the Irish Government were to oppose Scottish independence, it would greatly upset the Scottish Nationalists and could influence some undecided Scottish voters -who may have some anti-Irish prejudices – into voting No.
An independent Scotland would aggressively competed with Ireland for inward investment and jobs. Billions would be wiped off the values of British companies and pension funds in which Irish people have shares and our all-important British export markets would be adversely affected.
An independent Scotland could threaten the already fragile Northern Irish Executive and power sharing.
Poor scots. Loose loose . If they vote yes they will be forced to join the eu and end up wit the euro. And be right back were they started.
What I hope is, if they vote to be free. Throw 2 fingers up at the eu. Trade wit Russia ,china . They be grand
Of the uk economy goes belly up because of a yes vote then Ireland can kiss any recovery goodbye .
If the uk
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